


The Intrigue

by reaperlight



Category: Death Note & Related Fandoms, Death Note (Anime & Manga)
Genre: 31 Days Of Halloween, Angst, Animal Death, B and L are Brothers, Backstory, Canon Rewrite, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Is Another Character, Dark Wammy's House, Deathnotetober, Deathnotetober Day 30: Warehouse, Deathnotetober Day 3: L, Drama, Fake Character Death, Family Drama, Fix-It, Grief/Mourning, Halloween Challenge, Identity Porn, Identity Reveal, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Intrigue, L is Kira (Death Note), L is Mikami, L's Mysterious Past, M/M, Multi, Mutual Pining, Non-Linear Narrative, Out of Character, Past Child Abuse, Pining, Ryuk is a Good Bro, Seriously Twisting The Lore, Shinigami, Shinigami Eyes, Shinigami Hybrid B, Shinigami Hybrid L, Shinigami Hybrids, Tags Contain Spoilers, Wammy's House (Death Note), What-If, What-if Challenge, character fusion
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:54:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27226855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reaperlight/pseuds/reaperlight
Summary: He'd found his God, but his God was not yet ready to accept him.They'd been placed on opposite sides of the board.So he would help and guide Him from behind the scenes until the day he could beg His forgiveness...
Relationships: B & L & Ryuk & Yagami Light, Beyond Birthday & L, Beyond Birthday & L & Yagami Light, L/Yagami Light, Mikami Teru/Yagami Light, Original Character/Original Canon Character, Ryuk & L, Ryuk & Yagami Light
Comments: 9
Kudos: 66





	The Intrigue

Moisture dripped down, wearing through the rotten roof of the warehouse much like this situation was wearing on his patience. 

_How dare he?!_

Light seethed as he finally came face-to-face with Near… or rather face-to-mask because how dare he stand where L stood? How dare he mock him— _both of them,_ him and L with that atrocious mask—

It was like a balm to his soul when he heard Mikami arrive, to hear the bit-too excited cries of " _Sakujo!_ " coming from the other side of the door. 

It would all be over soon. 

***

“Yes… Mikami, was it? You heard him. You don’t have to hide from us—you can come in.” 

“Okay, _Kaaaami,_ ” the man behind the door had long-waited, _dreamed,_ of this moment. And yet as much as he wished to make a good impression on his Kami he couldn’t help let some of his excitement leak through. 

Light’s breath hitched. There was something about that voice, as unhinged as it sounded there was also something there that just seemed so hauntingly familiar. 

_No… No, don’t be a fool. It isn’t him. Of COURSE it isn’t him. It CAN’T be—”_

Light tried to avoid looking too closely at Mikami lest something in his expression give the game away. 

This was it—the moment he’d been waiting for, soon he would taste his perfect victory… 

He would later reason that was why he was the last to notice.

Across from him Matsuda gasped. “Wha— _Ryuuzaki?!_ ” 

One by one all of the other remaining members of the Kira taskforce gasped in recognition. 

Light turned then and really _looked_ at the Hand of Kira. 

He froze, shocked speechless as he looked into the eyes of a man (his greatest enemy, his first friend, his first _lover_ ) who he had thought had died five years ago. 

***

“…That one. He’s Kira,” the man known as L asserted with confidence when he first saw the dossier photograph of Chief Yagami’s son and failed to see any numbers above his head. 

He was, once again, scouring through files in a dimly lit hotel room but this had been a case he’d found interesting for once. It was kind of disappointing, really, that he’d solved it so quickly. 

Of course, he wasn’t entirely sure if it was linked, he wasn’t in regular contact with their father as his brother was and couldn’t say for sure what powers were involved with _that_ side of the family. He didn’t particularly care about Shinigami lore unless it affected his cases. He preferred to focus on what was wrong here on Earth. 

But it was enough for L to conclude that something strange was going on with Light Yagami. And while L didn’t know quite what he was looking for yet in order to find Kira, he knew he was looking for strange, well strange beyond the fact that his new suspect was inhumanely attractive… “Have him brought to me…” L insisted forcefully. He should interrogate the suspect. He’d decided this. It was for the case of course. It had no relation to the previous thought... 

“Show your work,” his handler chided. 

_“Watari…”_ L most definitely did not _whine._

Watari tiredly cleaned his glasses, “He’s Chief Yagami’s son. You can’t just bring him in on a hunch, L. “

L fumed. Of course it wasn’t a hunch. Surely Watari _knew_ that… 

Sometimes L was convinced that Watari had brought him in because of _what_ he and his brother were. 

Other times, like this, L wondered if he truly was clueless… or if he was simply gaslighting him again into getting what he wanted. It was often hard to tell. This was the man who taught him how to lie—but he hadn’t taught him _everything_ of course. 

L, like his brother, could always see the names—the names and the numbers. He hadn’t understood at first that they were lifespans—not until his mother and those other monsters had died. 

The only ones he couldn’t see were his own and his brother’s… and now Light Yagami’s. 

***

“You see them too, don’t you, _Mi’Lokan?_ ” B asked, tilting his head to glance above the heads of the wandering students. 

“…What of it?” L asked. He wondered briefly at the strange form of address. 

Dammit, why was calling him L so hard? He'd _earned_ his new name. He _liked_ his new name. It was a fresh start here, no one knew him from his life before... He liked his new name so much that the characters had changed so that L Lawliet was currently the name floating above his head. His name had never been... whatever the hell it was that B insisted on calling him. 

...Then he decided he didn't care. 

It's not like he didn't have a large collection of aliases and there was no point in giving him the satisfaction of reacting. He'd dealt with his share of bullies... 

In any case, B was just strange like that. 

Perhaps stranger than he realized. 

L hadn't thought there was anyone else out there that could see the world like he could. 

He'd learned at an early age that no one else knew what he was talking about when he mentioned the names or the numbers that floated above everyone's head. The last time he'd mentioned them he'd been misdiagnosed and given glasses he hadn't needed so he'd learned to keep it to himself. 

L supposed it was strange, yes, but hardly an impediment. Indeed such a talent could only help him in his future goals in law enforcement. 

It was odd to find someone else who could see them though—that had never happened before. But dammit, why did it have to be B? The strange successor had taken to following him around shortly after he’d been brought here. He was obsessive, obnoxious, and competitive to the point of self-destruction. 

L for the most part tolerated him as he felt duty-bound to do but if he had this talent too… perhaps he should give B more attention after all… 

They both paused in their discussion as they watched Alternate wander by, clutching her term paper, whimpering. 

B frowned, “…It’s a shame,” he spoke, his voice a near whisper. 

“...I wonder why her numbers are so short?” 

“..Do you really?” B’s frown deepened. “They aren’t like us, you know.” 

L snorted. “Yeah… they don’t work as hard for some reason.”

L really couldn’t understand that. Wasn’t that why they were here? To finally prove that they really were the smartest in the room? Why waste time doing stupid things like _sleeping_ when you could be using this opportunity to shine so brightly, taking one step closer to becoming the Vessel for Justice he’d always meant to be. With no one telling him he had to go to bed anymore L had found he didn’t have to. He could just keep working until he collapsed and subsequently they’d discovered he could work even longer when Watari gave him access to a steady supply of sweets… 

A might have had the best scores after him in pure academics but L could acknowledge that, as odd as B was, of all the successors B was the only one who came close to his level. L admired his work ethic and determination to learn a wide breadth of subjects. 

B gave him a funny look. “Because they’re _human,_ Mi’Lokan. Fully human.” 

B looked down and fiddled with the wara ningyo doll he was constructing out of straw to keep his hands busy. 

“…Not like us.”

***

As far as L could tell by his discussions with B, B had made up some elaborate fantasy about meeting a God of Death who was also his father... and that they were brothers by different mothers. 

He also insisted on calling him that, Mi’Lokan, even though it wasn’t any name or alias he’d ever used. 

He wanted to correct him. He was L now, he'd gladly changed his name—gratefully taking Watari’s hand to begin a new life, free of the humiliation of who he used to be and now given the opportunity where he could truly make a difference… 

It was worth it just for the fact that Watari had had the Internet scrubbed free of his image of what those monsters had done—

So he’d do it. He’d stick to Wammy's Program, even when it was hard, even when it turned out to be a devil’s bargain... 

While L agreed his father must have been an asshole for not being there and leaving him with his mother, the idea that his, no _their_ father was a literal demon just seemed a little too far-fetched.

Though L had confirmed, via a discreet DNA test, that B was right about one thing—he was indeed his half-brother. He’d also confirmed that there was something abnormal about their tests. But believing in something like a Shinigami without evidence was asking a bit too much. 

While L believed in a higher power, the notion of such a thing flew in the face of his own privately held beliefs. His God wasn’t a monster. His God was one that punished evil and rewarded righteousness.

He believed this _because_ he believed in hard facts and evidence. He had seen the Hand of God—it was the only conclusion he could come to when God had swooped in and punished his tormentors as well as his mother who had stood in the way of true Justice. 

So if he truly was to be the World’s Greatest Detective than he resolved he should be able to find his God. 

And then they would talk. 

Still, L indulged B and his theories, because his brother felt less of a need to act up when he did. 

***

B had finally introduced him to the golden skeleton fiend that claimed to be their father and L couldn’t help but be less than impressed. 

Really what kind of God was scared of his pet crow? 

No, this was not his God. 

He would keep searching. 

***

“Hey, Mi’Lokan, did ya know…? I spoke with Justin the other day and, well, turns out names are quite meaningful to his species for some reason, who knew? Do you want to know what yours means?” 

It was a beautiful summer day and L was enjoying lying in the cool green grass beneath the shady oak tree. Nearby the shouts of orphans kicking a football around could be heard. 

It was a beautiful snapshot in time that belied Wammy’s institute’s treatment of said orphans and its sinister purpose. 

The boy gave a long-suffering sigh as B poked him again. They shouldn’t be seen together. They both knew what Watari had done the last time…

Just because they _could_ take the punishments easier than the others here, their nonhuman heritage meant that they healed faster and were more durable than typical humans, and just because L often did take the place of others he felt had been wronged for that very reason… that didn’t make it an enjoyable experience. 

“You know you’re supposed to call me L now...” L began half-heartedly, “…but I suppose you are going to tell me anyway? What, has he been giving you Eldritch language lessons between classes?” he asked, definitely not jealous. 

B, _Beltesha_ , had chosen his path and L had chosen his. 

Sure Watari was an asshole but L was sure if he stuck with this eventually he’d have everything he would need to bring about real change to this hellish world. With the power and resources he’d gain as “L The Detective” he could achieve much more and have a far wider reach than he’d ever dreamed of back when his highest ambition growing up was to become a prosecutor. 

Still, once he was able, he vowed he would burn this whole place to the ground… 

When it had just been corporal punishment against his own person it hadn’t been so bad. It was nothing that that period of great suffering that was allegedly his childhood hadn’t ever prepared him for but when one of the teachers snapped the neck of his pet bird right in front of him—and called that a punishment, that had crossed the line.

It was his view that punishment, no matter how severe, should always be against the offending party never by proxy of an innocent victim! 

L was already finding ways and means to prosecute that teacher once he was secure in the mantle of L. 

Unfortunately no one would take a charge of murder seriously for a crow (Yoru would not get justice, no matter what that bird had meant to him) but to start with L could get him thrown in jail on a drug possession charge, even if he had to plant the evidence himself... 

“Of course!” Beltesha did, with glee: “‘Yours means When-this-one’s-eyes-fully-open-he-will-break-and-bring-darkness, building the New World to Death.’” 

“Building the New World to Death?” 

“It’s in the Beyondermason, so… we got that part in common.” 

“Huh. How foolish.” 

Beltesha cackled. “…You’re right. I suppose it is,” he conceded and then sent him a longing look. 

No, they couldn’t… this was risk enough… 

“Hey, uh… L? I was just gonna catch some frogs and vivisect them and leave them all knifed to Roger’s desk. I bet that would really freak him out! Wanna come?” 

L considered it. While that sounded like it could be interesting—

No. 

Really, what the hell was wrong with him? Why had the thought of killing something seem enticing? Why had he even considered it? No… they were frogs. It wasn’t like they were people or anything. It was his hunger for justice, he was sure. He could mess with Roger, and Watari, and that teacher who wronged him... 

No, in any case, he shouldn’t. He had to at least pretend to be able to interact with polite society if he wanted to achieve his goals (and his revenge). 

“B, you might want to be careful about pretending to be crazy. The mask might just stick.” 

B threw his head back and laughed. He’d clearly been practicing. 

***

By the subtle smirk on the pale boy’s face, Kira’s Hand could tell N thought he was safe. 

Naturally he thought he had the real notebook because he could see Ryuk now. 

Of course The Hand of Kira and his co-conspirators had anticipated N’s move. While he carried Stephen Loud's fake he had previously replaced the real notebook with a fake of their own so that N did not have custody of the real notebook—they had simply tricked him into touching some notebook fibers so that he could see Ryuk and would now think that he did. 

The real notebook was safely tucked away on Ryuk's person, well out of N’s reach. 

He would not let them kill Light, especially not by _cheating._

The man now known as Mikami knew the notebook he had on him was a fake but the sheet of notebook paper he kept on him was not— 

So far, so good. 

They’d managed it, thus far, their God’s silent helpers. Between him and Beltesha and a little help from the “divine” they’d managed to keep Light from self-destructing or otherwise getting himself killed while remaining completely behind the scenes. Sometimes eliminating threats before Kira could even become aware of them… 

His heart beat a staccato in his chest, he knew, on some level that Light would know soon. Too soon. This charade couldn’t last much longer… 

It had taken years of plotting and planning, reclaiming his oldest identity, and becoming the man Light-kun, _his Kira_ , needed him to be; but he would have his second chance now. 

Nothing would stand in the way of that. 

Not even old coworkers. 

He would prove his loyalty now with their sacrifice… 

_“Ryuuzaki?”_

_Oh no..._

It was too soon!

***

“So, you got a Kira suspect yet?”

L rolled his eyes. 

His brother had taken the name Beyond Birthday for himself and had gotten himself thrown in jail a few years back for some very serious crimes—just to get away from Wammy’s toxic environment. (As painful as that process was, L couldn’t help but sometimes wonder if he was the lucky one.) 

It was some quirk of theirs, some form of distant viewing, perhaps related to these strange eyes they were born with and unusual ( _inhuman_ ) markers in their DNA, but distance and lack of communication devices didn’t ever stop them from communicating. 

Watari couldn’t watch them all the time. 

(Case in point, a certain ex-teacher at Wammy’s was now rotting in jail and his crow Yoru had been avenged. When he’d told B they had had a good laugh and B had asserted that he really was the pettier of the two of them.) 

So there was that… Watari had to sleep sometime.

And there was no better time for them to get in touch than when Watari was sleeping and on the rare occasions when L was pretending to sleep. No one wanted to bother him then. But in any case they found ways to speak every night.

“…I do, actually. But Watari doesn’t believe me. But I know… I just know because… because he’s like _us_ … somehow.”

 _“Somehow?”_ B prodded. 

“No lifespan. He’s also a genius. Top ranked student in the country…” 

“Oooh, you got a crush _mi hermanito?_ ” B cooed, because he knew it would annoy the hell out of him. 

L scowled at the reminder. It had been jarring enough to find he had living family—not to mention the living-dead family but that was a whole other bag of gummy worms—dealing with his discovered half-brother had been jarring enough, especially since he’d learned of his existence only after he had Watari whispering in his ear, assuring him that he was better off alone. They would later speculate together that finding each other had been disturbing enough for both of them to break free of Wammy’s programming. But even so, L couldn’t really bring himself to think of B as his _brother_ most of the time. He thought of him more as a... co-conspirator in trying to find justice in this unjust world… 

“We’re almost the same age, as you recall. You’re only a day older than me. And I do _not_ have a crush, I am simply profiling my suspect.” 

B laughed at that. “Uh huh…” B turned sober, as a darker thought occurred to him. “If he really _is_ like us, _Mi’Lokan_ … I betcha Watari would have orphaned him too if he thought he could get away with it.” 

“…I think you’re right, Beltesha.”

The psychic projection seemed to lean back smugly against the bed frame. 

“You’d be surprised how often that happens.” 

***

“Heh,” L chuckled as the large dark undeniable shape of a Shinigami crawled around looking for his cameras.

 _I thought Kira was working alone. Perhaps that was true initially but it seems he’s gained a friend…_

That added a new dimension to this whole thing. 

Would the Shinigami interfere?

Did he know about him and B? 

Hell, were they related too?

L hoped not—that Bling Skeleton that showed up and done the Shinigami equivalent of handing him and B a pack of cigarettes was enough, thank you very much. 

***

Ryuk watched with glee as the grunge guy who’d shared the stage with Light introduced himself as L. 

Things sure were getting fun! 

Then he noticed that, for an instant “L” was looking directly at him before quickly looking away. He’d also noticed the distinctive red gleam in eyes that humans would simply perceive as dark. 

**“Heh! _Interesting!_ ”**

Perhaps he should tell Light about this development. 

Then again he wasn’t really _supposed_ to get involved. 

Ryuk decided he would tell Light if he ever asked... 

***

“So… how goes it with pretty boy? Come on, give us the tea!” B seemed to leap up and down on his bed in excitement despite not being physically present; confined as he still was a world away in a Los Angeles prison. 

L huffed and glared at the obnoxious psychic manifestation. L supposed he should count his blessings that B hadn’t crashing their “date…”

But really, he’d gone on _one_ date with Light and he was planning on arresting the guy’s “girlfriend” tomorrow. Him too, depending on how it all went down. So he doubted there would be a repeat. 

Still…

“Well, he’s prissy and he keeps refusing my offered cake but…”

 _“But?”_ B prompted, seeming to be vibrating with excitement. 

“Deep down I think … he’s just like me… his ideals—he sees the world just as I do. I realized… I’d probably do the exact same thing he’s doing if I bothered with that Shinigami stuff and got a hold of one of those notebooks you told me about.”

B blinked “So… he’s terrifying then,” he clapped his hands in delight. “Oh, this will be fun!” 

***

B was right, he was terrifying. 

But the more he thought about it, the more L had come to realize—wasn’t this what he’d been aiming for all along when he accepted the position of L? Wasn’t this what he’d _wanted_ for so long? 

And perhaps…?

Maybe?

…Had he found his God? 

Light Yagami was childish and immature and certainly _playing_ at being God.

But ultimately, if he did as his God should do, did it make a difference?

And was he not childish and immature too? 

Why wouldn’t his God be in his own image? 

Perhaps Kira wouldn’t have been what theologians thought of when they built God but L couldn't help but feel that this _was_ the God he’d been searching for. 

Any cognitive dissonance that came upon realizing that his God was a murderer only lasted a moment. 

After all, hadn’t Wammy’s always taught that sometimes you had to take extreme actions to fight evil?

How should the flock know what was right or wrong if there was no punishment? Was that not Justice? 

Nothing short of death had ever stopped his childhood tormentors. 

The Hand of God had taken his mother too but she had stood in the way of Justice, of course her sin was just as dire—had he listened to her he would have never seen his true potential. 

As Wammy had taught him, sacrifices must be made in the name of the greater good. 

He had seen numerous scum hung or get the needle for their crimes without a second thought. Was it any shock, really, that his God would do the same, only unbound by red tape and committees and all those enemies of justice holding him back? 

…Dammit, he didn’t want to fight him anymore. 

But there was one major problem—he could no longer speak with Kira to communicate his change of heart or his desire to aid him because, well, Kira wasn’t home right now. 

Now there was only Light, scared and confused and having no idea why he’d agreed to be locked in solitary confinement. 

Kira would no doubt detest him more if he left him there, even if it was done on his request… but how to put a stop to this without Watari and the taskforce losing faith in him?

_Damned if I do, damned if I don’t..._

***

“L, what are you doing?” Watari demanded as L made arrangements to have Light released… (and he supposed he’d have to release Misa too but sometimes sacrifices must be made…) 

L considered how he might begin his overtures to his currently unaware deity. 

Would Light be impressed if he build him a tower? 

He had money to burn, after all. 

Yes, he’d discover all of his “first friend’s” preferences and build his new headquarters to those specifications. 

L hoped that might go towards an apology and an olive branch even if he couldn’t otherwise communicate it directly at the moment. 

L was fairly sure that Kira couldn’t actually kill him, given the whole having a Shinigami as a parent thing, but he would much rather have amicable relations with the being he wished to worship... 

It was beyond frustrating. 

He’d finally found the God he wanted and he could not even declare his devotion… 

L frowned and then resolved he would discover and equip their room with all of Light’s favorite things. 

He had the time, the money, and the resources. 

He'd find his favorite foods, his favorite clothing brands, his favorite soaps, and shampoos, and colognes... 

He couldn’t communicate with Kira now but at least he could spoil Light in the meantime. 

Perhaps that would make a good impression on Kira later. 

“No, I still believe he _was_ Kira but he isn’t at the moment. Continuing this is pointless. However I need to keep a close watch over him…” L said because he needed to give Watari some rationale for his actions and knew that 'I'm joining Kira' probably wouldn't fly. At least while the old man was still alive… L supposed he already had everything he needed from the old man—he didn’t really need him anymore. But how could he get rid of him without it being suspicious? 

Dammit, doing so now would no doubt alert his successors and that opened a whole bag of gummy worms. 

No, he’d have to keep dealing with Watari, at least for now… 

“But… you’re just going to release them? Surely some sort of test is in order? We could put him under duress, make him think he was about to be executed, and see if he kills anyone—” 

L stared at him blankly. “Mock executions are a human rights violation.” 

“…Just what is going on with you, my boy?” 

Translation: That wouldn’t have stopped you before, and we both know it. 

“…It would be pointless. If Light is Kira, he’s way too smart to fall for something like that.” 

***

“I’m surprised to see _you_ here, old man.” 

“I wouldn’t have bothered except… L’s life could be the on the line.” 

_Wow, I didn’t think he had it in him to pretend to care. But no doubt it’s only for my benefit because Watari knows I care about L._

“Ah… I see... Do tell!” 

Watari spoke then, pouring out his fears to his captive audience. Worry about his charge’s growing obsession, about the supernatural nature of the case, how L could die at any time... 

B wondered if it was so that Watari truly didn’t see what was happening under his nose or saw it all too well. 

L had slipped from under his thumb and, in truth, had always had his own agenda. He’d found someone, and found power that was superior to what the station of L could provide him. 

Ironic really. L could have had that all along if he’d just listened to him.

Then again B supposed he wasn’t as pretty as his brother’s new Godling... 

“…Will you help us?” 

B pretended to consider it. 

“Hmmm…”

Well, wasting what little time Watari had left could be fun and B realized that every moment Watari spent here was potential alone time L had with his new boytoy…

 _You owe me, hermanito…_

“Tell you what… let me tell you a story, Old Man. Twenty eight years ago there were two witches who were also lovers—”

 _“Backup—”_

“Oh, this is relevant, I promise. You see these two witches? They summoned an ancient and powerful entity of Death, a Shinigami.” 

“…Why?” 

“Well, I believe it had something to do with the fact that they were hoping it would help them destroy this rotten world that had caused them both such pain and misery. When that failed, well, I imagine it went something like this—they’d read some prophesy of doom and gloom and wanted a child they couldn’t have themselves—a child destined to destroy the world of course—just going full _Omen_ here, so to speak. But they got more than they bargained for—two for the price of one in fact!” B chuckled but was only met with Watari’s dour expression, “Hmmm tough crowd. Anyway, so this Shinigami, Justin—” 

“ _Justin?!_ You can’t be serious, Backup. That was almost a good story though; you had me going for a moment—” 

“That’s not his true name of course—it’s just a name we mere mortals are comfortable with. Anyway, Justin gave them what they asked in exchange for a magic book and Justin fulfilled his end of the bargain. What happened to them after that, well, it was none of Justin’s concern and by his own standards, a Shinigami’s standards, that was fair—Shinigami generally don’t give a single flying fuck about humans, you see, so it’s to be expected…” 

“Is there a point to this?” 

“What’s the matter, Old Man, where’s your patience? Worried you’re gonna kick the bucket before I finish my story?” B laughed. The chains jingled as B attempted to make a placating gesture in response to the look of fury that briefly passed over the old man’s face. It was a glimpse of the hidden face behind the kindly façade, the one that he and L knew all too well. 

“Hey, hey, I’m getting there,” B insisted, 

“What happened to them? These… witches?” Watari prompted. 

“The chains rattled again as B tried to reposition himself to get comfortable, ignoring the continued look of fury on the Old Man’s face because now? Now B knew he had him hooked. “Okay, well… Now theses witches did not fully understand the forces they were playing with so in the process they got their memories wiped. These two women forgot all about the Summoning, Justin, and each other,” B narrated, his too-long (too-sharp) fingernails tapping on the interrogation desk in an annoying tattoo until a harsh glare from Watari made him stop if only for a moment. B grinned and began tapping again in a different pattern. “…They returned to their lands of origin with no memory of how their current circumstances came about. 

Watari felt some measure of relief when B ceased his tapping, up until the murderer gained a more serious look. 

“Now those witches—both it seemed, met tragic ends. One of them died in a seemingly random car crash, you see… which was perhaps not so random.”

“…Just, what are you implying?”

 _Ah, guilty conscience, Old Man? Or do you feel safe, revealing yourself here? You think I can’t tell anyone, don’t you?_

“Hey it could have been an accident. Could have been an act of God. I know a certain _someone_ is more inclined to believe it was an act of God so I will leave it at that.”  
B was sure that it wasn’t his imagination that Watari looked a bit too smug about that. Not that it would have made a difference—given his brother’s undiagnosed trauma and feelings about his mother he might even _thank him_ if he knew. No, best to let him keep thinking it was just an act of God. 

But as for Watari, well it was time to go in for the kill, metaphorically speaking—B knew L had his own plans for Watari and he wouldn’t want to step on his brother’s toes. 

“But as for the other witch, one Beatriz Bolívar… _she was my mother_. And she was murdered. By a certain _someone_ in this room—and I think we both know why.” 

_“Backup—_ ” Watari hissed, “What did you hope to achieve with these lies—”

“Don’t start. You cannot lie to me. You could _never_ lie to me. I saw it with my own eyes, _Quillsh_. Of course, I understand why you did it. Wammy’s House needed more orphans for your projects—it hardly mattered if they weren’t orphans before they arrived there!”

Throwing that in the old man’s face wasn’t nearly as satisfying as Beltesha had hoped—Watari retained that blank face he always hid behind though he did seem a bit more rattled than before. 

“I see…so you wish to kill me?” 

B snorted. “Nah, I don’t have to do anything to you,” B smirked and glanced at a fixed point above the old man’s head. “I know you will get yours in the end. Mark my words, your favorite son will tear down everything you built. Your first mistake, your last mistake was making that place and putting us both together.” 

Watari visibly paled. “That other witch… what was her name?” He asked, though it was clear he’d already deduced the answer. 

B leaned in and grinned, teeth looking a little too sharp to be fully human. 

“Mikami. Her name was Ren Mikami.” B’s handcuffs jingled as he leaned back in his stiff interrogation chair. “Ah, but that I could see the Death of the World.” 

“…You’re insane. If you won’t tell me anymore about these heart-attack monsters than we’re done here.” 

“Hmmmm… I may be insane, but I am right. So… have fun with that—” 

Watari got up to leave. 

“Wait…” Watari paused at that. B gave a mocking wave, “don’t let the door hit you on the way out, you old prune!” Watari turned to leave again in disgust, “Oh and by the way… your mustache is ugly!”

The door slammed shut and B grinned. 

“…I always wanted to say that.” 

***

L stood on the rooftop in the rain. He’d left Light alone in their room sleeping, handcuffed to the bed, and none the wiser of his midnight strolls. 

He just needed a moment away, to think... 

Perhaps that was a mistake. 

He thought too much and on things he shouldn’t. 

L had thought at first that this was a battle of wits between equals—or, it could have been, if he didn’t have these damn eyes ruining his fun by already showing him the answer. But even so he’d been having fun playing against Light. L had felt challenged for the first time in forever. But now Kira, _his Kira_ , was gone. Light clearly remembered nothing and L couldn't help but feel like a bully even though he knew that Light _had_ been Kira. 

And that, somehow, was what stung most of all and left L feeling blue about the whole thing.

He was supposed to be Justice, not that evil he’d sworn to destroy.

 _If he somehow manages to kill me, I’ll deserve it—_

L could give him the world here but he knew that right now all Light really wanted was his freedom, and for L to clear his name. Something L just couldn't give at the moment because not only would that cause problems with Watari and the Taskforce but, more importantly, that would no doubt screw up whatever _Kira_ had planned. 

L felt his heart skip a beat at the sudden sound of large wing beats. 

“…Justin?”

No, Justin had wings of gold. These dark wings—it was Kira’s special friend. 

**“You can see me… can’t you?”**

L nodded but was wary—Justin had warned him about interacting with other Shinigami.

**“Not gonna hurt ya, kid. I just… I’ve been watching you… Both of you.”**

“Why…?” L began but stopped mid question in realization. “You miss him too, don’t you?”

 **“Nah it’s just Shinigami apples just aren’t the same…”** Ryuk hedged before buckling under L’s probing look. **“Alright, dammit. Yes, I miss him. He’s the most fun I’ve had in millennia.”**

“Yeah… I understand the feeling.”

 **“I thought you would,”** Ryuk said, grinning his fangy grin. **“So tell ya what…How about we make a deal? We can help each other out—”**

“And what’s the cost for your help?” L asked sharply. 

**“Cost? Meh… This one’s free because I want him back too…”** Ryuk said and then thought about it for a moment, **“well free other than whatever curse comes about when Shinigami interact with humans, I suppose.”**

L snorted, “If that’s the case I’ve already been cursed since birth.” 

**“Oh, so no cost then… I mean, unless you have any apples?”**

L thought for a moment. “Come to think of it, I do. Watari had some brought in to the kitchen level, but they’re candied, caramelized—I hope you don’t mind?” 

***

As it turned out Ryuk didn’t mind. 

L put in an order for candied apples in bulk. 

***

“So now’s the question—how do we keep him alive and save him from himself? Once he remembers he’ll still want to kill me. He has potential… dammit he could be amazing if I left him to it, but he’ll self-destruct without a proper support system—” 

**“It’s just you and me right, looking out for him?”**

“No, it won’t be just the two of us. It’ll be you, me, and my brother B, and… we could probably bribe Justin too into assisting us on occasion. I just need to acquire some trinkets he’d find worthy of his collection—”

Ryuk choked on his candied apple “ _Justin?!_ That boring old fart?”

“Yeah—he owes me. Me and B both.” 

“Owes you?”

L chuckled, “Indeed… he’s said as much. And it’s true. He brought us into this evil world after all.” 

***

“You know how Kira is going to kill me don’t you? Why don’t you tell me how?”

Ryuk fidgeted awkwardly—it was an odd gesture in an eight foot tall God of Death and involved a lot of fluffed up feathers. **“You could use that information to hurt him—”**

“Ryuk, you know what I am—whatever he has planned won’t kill me. If I wanted to hurt your human I’d just let him try to kill me and then arrest him. And you know that I couldn’t use anything you told me as evidence anyway because as far as most humans are concerned Shinigami don’t exist.” 

Ryuk told him, and hoped he wasn’t making a horrible mistake. 

“...Yes, we can work with this. Rem is likely to kill Watari first, as he is the first threat to Misa—she’s seen him torture her. She might try to kill me too but it won’t matter. She can’t kill me and I will be able to move more freely once Watari is dead. So I’ll fake my death, break B out of prison, and then we can figure things out from there. I imagine we’ll have to watch what He does first in order to get a clue as to how to respond—” 

**“Awww… Humans are interesting!”**

L gave him a side-long glance. “I’m not entirely human, you know?” 

Ryuk chuckled again. **“You’re human enough, it seems.”**

L simply shrugged and continued plotting, much to Ryuk’s delight. 

“…And once Rem is out of our hair we can be free of Misa too… or _He_ could.” L frowned. “A shame I couldn’t reveal myself then… but I still have to fake my death or he’ll think his plan has failed. I want him to think he succeeded.”

**“Why?”**

“Because… I—I want Him to. I’m sure you’ve noticed but… He’s _amazing_ , Ryuk. Even now, flying half-blind. I can’t wait to see _my_ Kira again. Not this pathetic two-bit imposter,” L sighed. “But even if I told him that, He’d still see me as His enemy. It's perfectly understandable. I did challenge him. So... Once his memories return, I will have to prove myself to Him, show that He can trust me, and prove that I am _worthy_ —” 

Ryuk laughed. **“You know how paranoid he is, right? That’ll be a tall order.”**

“Then… I’ll become someone else. Perhaps someone more to His tastes, I can pick up an old persona—” 

“Persona?” 

“I am what I am… but I can mask very well if I have a mind to. I am a liar, a liar raised by liars, trained by liars. I have many names and the one above my head isn’t even my true one. I will use the first name I ever had in the human world—the one that wicked creature that bore me gave to me because it has the longest history. I have to look on the level when Light investigates me… What’s so funny?” He demanded when the Shinigami began cackling. 

Ryuk snorted. **“Oh c’mon, you have to appreciate the role reversal.”**

“Right, well… it’s necessary. That way _we_ can have a fresh start. I can... I can have what we are building now—but with the _real him._ Not this shadow. And we can start over…” 

The Shinigami’s brow creased in obvious concern. **“Do you really think that will work?”**

“It _has_ to.”

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: So, uh, I wanted to make sure I got at least some of this up in time for deathnotetober so here's part 1.
> 
> This was inspired from remembering long ago, first time watching Death Note, when Mikami was first introduced for just a moment (probably born of wishful thinking) I thought it was L returned from the dead and helping Light.  
> Then I thought hey what if there was an AU where they *were* the same character--like Clark Kent without the glasses. So here's this AU. I expect it to be 2-3 chapters (...famous last words)


End file.
